[xj-s] Plugged Rads

["Kirbert" <palmk@mailer.gadcomm.net>]

OK, it's been confirmed that my radiator was plugged and I'm having 
to fix a dropped valve seat as a result.  The problem is that, for me 
anyway, none of these overhauls ever work out the way they do in the 
book.  For one thing, people talk about having their engines steam 
cleaned before starting work so everything is nice and clean.  The 
nearest place to get a steam cleaning is about 15 miles from my 
place, and I damn sure wasn't gonna drive it there.  So we woulda 
been talking about a tow both ways.  It didn't happen, so this 
teardown is a real mess.

So, I get a head off and there's all this crud around.  Junk is 
falling into the cylinders, junk is falling into the water jacket, 
junk is falling everywhere.  Sure, I'll be trying real hard to get as 
much junk out as possible, but I'm confident that some of it will 
still be floating around in there.

All the passages in the block and heads look really big, nothing's 
likely to plug them.  Evidently whatever ends up in the coolant 
circuit will eventually find its way to the radiator, and each chunk 
will pick a tube and plug it.

OK, here's an idea: what we need is a screen filter installed in the 
upper radiator hoses to catch all this crap.  Might be an acceptable 
idea to make these things temporary, only put in for the first few 
hundred miles after a rebuild.  But if they work at all, why not 
leave them in permanently?  Every now and then, pull them out and 
clean the crud out and reinstall.

Hmmmm.  Maybe I should apply for a patent.  I could see a market for 
an assortment of filter units, each for a different radiator hose 
diameter.

 -- Kirbert      |     If anything is to be accomplished,
                 |     some rules must be broken.
                 |          - Palm's Postulate

---

Follow-Ups:

• Re: [xj-s] Plugged Rads
• From: BRIAN SCHULTETUS <bjs@eosinc.com>
• Re: [xj-s] Plugged Rads
• From: John Napoli <jgn@li.net>

---

• Prev by Date: [xj-s] Water pump hose
• Next by Date: [xj-s] Head Off
• Prev by thread: Re: [xj-s] Water pump hose
• Next by thread: Re: [xj-s] Plugged Rads
• Index(es):
  • Main
  • Thread